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I was talking to a corporate pilot over a few beverages the other day who flies Falcons and he has racked up over 80 free hotels stays with the points he gets. He makes over 200K and has well over 400K in his retirement accounts and heís in his mid-30ís. He flies a fair bit to Europe, but gets a lot of time off.

He wasnít bragging as I was asking a lot about his lifestyle. I was impressed. He wondered about the airlines as he didnít have a 4-year degree and I told him IMO heís doing just fine. What impressed me most, was his health care. It was WAY better then AAG. I think heís smart to maximize his income at a younger age and heís seeing some great places with long layovers to enjoy them. His trips are on the longer side though.

There IS successful flying career life outside of Envoy/AA.

Yep, itís a great time to be a pilot. One of the guys here was an Eagle guy and when Boston closed he came here. He upgraded in his third year, 2011 and has been doing $200k+ a year ever since. Now heís closer to $300k. In that same time period I stuck around Eagle commuting and crashpading for $60k as an FO and $80ís upon upgrade. My ten years was $800k at best,?his was over $2M.
If somebody seriously only wants AA, then by all means keep trying off the street and flow as a backup. If itís just to have a great career; then as soon as you have your ATP and 500 hrs of 121 time start applying to the LCCís or good ACMIís and start making real money. Keep applying to the big six and go if given the chance. Donít waste 9 years in this market at a regional. Learn from the guys from the lost decade. Donít buy the sales pitch. Hiring is about to pick up so much that the regional industry consolidations, mergers, buyouts and bankruptcies are about to begin.

Yep, it’s a great time to be a pilot. One of the guys here was an Eagle guy and when Boston closed he came here. He upgraded in his third year, 2011 and has been doing $200k+ a year ever since. Now he’s closer to $300k. In that same time period I stuck around Eagle commuting and crashpading for $60k as an FO and $80’s upon upgrade. My ten years was $800k at best,?his was over $2M.
If somebody seriously only wants AA, then by all means keep trying off the street and flow as a backup. If it’s just to have a great career; then as soon as you have your ATP and 500 hrs of 121 time start applying to the LCC’s or good ACMI’s and start making real money. Keep applying to the big six and go if given the chance. Don’t waste 9 years in this market at a regional. Learn from the guys from the lost decade. Don’t buy the sales pitch. Hiring is about to pick up so much that the regional industry consolidations, mergers, buyouts and bankruptcies are about to begin.

Agreed. One other point to add and it’s one of the most important considerations. That point?

Seniority.

Being on the front end of the coming hiring wave means everything. Staying at an Eagle carrier for upwards of 9 years means you pick up that wave after it has crested and is then just a residual frothy baby. If AA is one’s goal, a near decade of watching the rest of the industries younger pilots surfing that wave in various places closer to peak while you sit on the beach holding your board is no place to be. You will be many years older and many, many thousands of numbers junior when you hit that froth.

That’s especially no place to be should the economy tank after the wave peaks.